According to the 2012 census, it has 900 403 people, making up Iglesiantis' fifteenth largest city and Astoria's eighth largest city. Albavia is also one of Iglesiantis' largest ports and one of its most industrialised cities. It is one of the most important cities in northwestern Astoria.

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Etymology

Albavia's name is a junction of the words aλβa (which means mountain in ancient Iglesian) and vуa (which means foot), which as a whole means mountain foot. In Vyvlander, the etymology is similar: vys means foot and el means hill, so it makes up foothill.

History

Although the area had been settled by Iglesians for many years, the current city of Albavia did not come into existence until it was inhabited by Vyvlanders around 750 AD as a small trading outpost. Due to its isolation, the settlement was tolerated by Iglesian authorities and Luziycan occupiers until the period of the Iglesian Empire, when the national government became more hostile towards the de facto independent settlers. This culminated in the Siege of Albavia in 1436, which resulted in the city becoming an official part of Iglesiantis, but with special powers and autonomy. Knowledge of the Vyvlander language among the city's inhabitants dwindled after this, while influence from Iglesian culture increased. However, the language is still spoken as a minority language alongside Iglesian today.

Since reincorporation into Iglesiantis, this position has been accepted by successive Vyvlander governments, bar that of Erman Sanker, who claimed the town and its surroundings as rightful Vyvlander territory, partly out of anger against North Vyvland's alliance with Iglesiantis.

Geography

Albavia is located in northwest Astoria. The Elkara Cape, the northernmost point in Astoria, is located in central Albavia. The city is one of the few in Iglesiantis which is not crossed by any river.

Transport

Culture

Architecture

Music

Albavia is home to the menga (мeняa; popular Iglesian for dance), a music genre which features several loans from Vyvlander folk music. The use of fiddles and banjos as the main instruments and the use of the non-standard 5/8 and 7/8 time signatures are some of the key characteristics of this genre.